Growing Up Gamer

From the start my goal has been to prove that video gaming played an instrumental roll in shaping both my childhood and adulthood. This time I would like to do something a little different. Rather than write on a personal story I would like to focus on a global scale. I want to argue that gaming is overall a good thing for society. I will be the first to admit there are some less favourable aspects. There is no use ignoring the horror stories of verbal abuse over Xbox live, or the excessive violence many associate with the medium. I am not going to be able to overturn that by telling a personal story. I must try to look at the big picture.

Image taken from : Freeimages.com

It should go without saying that video games are here to stay. Multiple generations of children have spent hours playing these games and most of them probably have their own gaming related stories, similar to the ones I have been telling. Most of them never outgrew this phase; the average gamer is now in his or her thirties. This is the most prevalent the world of gaming has ever been and what is amazing is that even with so many people playing video games, none of them will have the exact same experience.

If you go on YouTube, you will be sure to find a lot of videos about gaming. Some people talk about games they loved as children, others about games they are obsessed with as adults, others just play games and upload the footage. This has lead to a massive online community with more members than any schoolyard could have ever hoped to have. All of them brought together by shared love of an all too often hated pastime. Turning their own experience into one they can share with the entire world. It is basically the same as my Pokémon story but on a global scale.

I am not trying to apologise for the medium’s crimes. There are some less-than-favourable aspects about video games. But the number of people who love gaming is quickly growing and while there is still much that needs to be improved, the pastime is slowly becoming more inclusive. I know gaming has changed me for the better. In the future having an interest in gaming will be no different than watching television or movies. This means that the shared experience is far from over.

Matthew Versace

Matthew is a mild-mannered, Ottawa-born male. As you may have guessed he spends a lot of time playing video games. When he is not doing that he likes to read and write. He is a full-time student in the Algonquin College Professional Writing program.

SPINE ONLINE

Algonquin’s School of Media and Design offers a two-year program in Professional Writing, designed for people who have an aptitude and passion for writing and a willingness to practise their craft in a variety of media. This is the online portion of that media training. Graduates will possess exemplary writing skills for both print media and electronic platforms, and this is their practice ground.